Make Your Official Predictions: The 2008 Royals

[KC Royals Nation]

Rather than sticky this in The Polling Booth, I'm going to (hopefully) start a tradition here at Royals Nation. All readers, posters, and moderators are invited to participate. A similar thread was posted recently over at Royals Review, and I want to borrow the idea and get your predictions for our 2008 Royals.

Make your official prediction for our 2008 record!

Also predict the following:

- Where will we finish in the A.L. Central?
- How many games out will we finish?

And predict the following team statistics:

- Runs scored vs. runs allowed
- Batting average
- OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage)
- Home Runs
- ERA

For reference, here are offensive statistics for our 2007 club:
sports.espn.go.com/mlb/Statistics/Team/playerstats?team=kan

And the pitching stats for '07:
sports.espn.go.com/mlb/Statistics/Team/playerstats?team=kan&pagetype=pitching&seasonYear=2007

The person who guesses the Royals' record correctly will receive 20 karma points at the end of the season. The second-place finisher will receive 10 karma points, and the third-place finisher will receive 5.

And for the following questions:

- Where will we finish in the A.L. Central?
Winner(s) = 5 karma pts.
- How many games out will we finish?
1st Place = 7 karma pts.
2nd Place = 4 karma pts.
3rd Place = 2 karma pts.
4th Place = 1 karma pt.
- Runs scored vs. runs allowed
1st Place = 5 karma pts.
2nd Place = 3 karma pts.
3rd Place = 2 karma pts.
4th Place = 1 karma pt.
- Batting average
1st Place = 4 karma pts.
2nd Place = 3 karma pts.
3rd Place = 2 karma pts.
4th Place = 1 karma pt.
- OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage)
1st Place = 4 karma pts.
2nd Place = 3 karma pts.
3rd Place = 2 karma pts.
4th Place = 1 karma pt.
- Home Runs
1st Place = 4 karma pts.
2nd Place = 3 karma pts.
3rd Place = 2 karma pts.
4th Place = 1 karma pt.
- ERA[/b]
1st Place = 4 karma pts.
2nd Place = 3 karma pts.
3rd Place = 2 karma pts.
4th Place = 1 karma pt.

*If you finish with a tie, the karma points will automatically go to all tied finishers. In other words, if two people get second place, they will both receive the same amount of karma points for that particular question.

[plotty]

Excellent idea. We could go a step further w/individual type stuff; I'll leave that up to you, CEO RN.

Plotty's Season Picks 2 Click
Overall Record: 76-86
- Where will we finish in the A.L. Central? 4th
- How many games out will we finish? 22


- Runs scored vs. runs allowed: 778 vs. 833
- Batting average: .274
- OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage): .746
- Home Runs: 145
- ERA: 4.03

[ror1fan]

And I thought your dad's was hard

[gilgameche]

Pre-Season Picks 2 Click

Overall record: 79-83
Where Will We finish in the AL Central: 3rd
How many games will we finish out of 1st place? 17 games

Runs scored vs runs allowed 782 vs 895
Batting Average .269
OPS: .789
Home Runs: 125
ERA: 4.32

[ror1fan]

Of course when I win because I will the real question how long will I be able to keep the points ? Remember I topped out at 19*
*Record at the time


Make your official prediction for our 2008 record

87-75

- Where will we finish in the A.L. Central?
- How many games out will we finish?

3rd
10.5

-Runs scored vs. runs allowed 800 - 736 ? no clue
- Batting average .287
- OPS .879
- Home Runs 202
- ERA 4.33

[KC Royals Nation]

OK, here are mine:

Make your official prediction for our 2008 record: 75-87
Where will we finish in the A.L. Central? 4th
How many games out will we finish? 20

Runs scored vs. runs allowed: 736, 794
Batting average: .265
OPS: .734
Home Runs: 139
ERA: 4.59

[Royally Speaking]

- Record
80-82
- Where will we finish in the A.L. Central?
3rd
- How many games out will we finish?
15

- Runs scored vs. runs allowed
718-704
- Batting average
.270
- OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage)
.750
- Home Runs
140
- ERA
4.35

[dejesus9]

Make your official prediction for our 2008 record!

81-81

Also predict the following:

- Where will we finish in the A.L. Central? 3rd
- How many games out will we finish? 13

And predict the following team statistics:

- Runs scored vs. runs allowed- 782 vs. 747
- Batting average- .268
- OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage)- .725
- Home Runs- 146
- ERA- 4.18

[KC Royals Nation]

Just for fun, I'm eventually going to take everyone's predictions and reveal the average answer for each question given.

Thanks for posting those predictions, gentlemen and ladies! Keep 'em coming in!

[raelg14]

- 2008 Record : 78 - 84
-Where will we finish in the A.L. Central? : 3rd
- How many games out will we finish? : 19

And predict the following team statistics:

- Runs scored vs. runs allowed : 752 - 788
- Batting average : .278
- OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) : .773
- Home Runs : 137
- ERA : 4.51

[skillset]

Make your official prediction for our 2008 record: 78-84
Where will we finish in the A.L. Central? 4th
How many games out will we finish? 21

Runs scored vs. runs allowed: 743, 754
Batting average: .266
OPS: .754
Home Runs: 165
ERA: 4.38

[1royalway]

Record: 86-76

Place: 3rd

9 GB of the division winning Tigers.

RS 798 RA 869

Team BA: .281

OPS: .751

HR's: 171

ERA: 4.23

[KC Royals Nation]

Alright, folks. One week later - the results are in! (I feel like Maury Povich).

This year's prediction was more optimistic than I expected. An average finish of 80-82; compared to the 79-83 predictions of Royals Review and Royals Authority. Also, the community projection is 3rd place. Judging by some of your games back predictions, it will be a tough division once again. We'll underperform our pythag. W-L by about a game (insignificantly), and generally hit much better and pitch slightly better as a team.

Average Record: 80-82
High Record: 85-77 (RoR1fan)
Low Record: 75-87 (Royals Nation)

Average AL Central Finish: 3rd Place (3.33)
High AL Central Finish: 3 (6 votes)
Low AL Central Finish: 4 (3 votes)

Average Games Back: 16 games (16.28)
High Games Back: 22 games (plotty)
Low Games Back: 9 games (1royalway)

Average Runs Scored: 773
High Runs Scored: 869 (1royalway)
Low Runs Scored: 718 (Royally Speaking)

Average Runs Allowed: 772
High Runs Allowed: 833 (plotty)
Low Runs Allowed: 704 (Royally Speaking)

Average Batting Average: .273
High Batting Average: .287 (RoR1fan)
Low Batting Average: .265 (Royals Nation)

Average OPS: .767
High OPS: .879 (RoR1fan)
Low OPS: .725 (dejesus9)

Average Home Runs: 152 (152.2)
High Home Runs: 202 (RoR1fan)
Low Home Runs: 125 (gilgameche)

Average ERA: 4.32
High ERA: 4.59 (Royals Nation)
Low ERA: 4.03 (plotty)

This was fun; thanks to everyone for posting your predictions!

[ror1fan]

Wow guess I'm more optimistic then I thought
2003 ALL over again

[KC Royals Nation]

Here are our 2008 winners:

List is incomplete.

Official Record Prediction (75-87)

Winner = 20 karma pts. (ME! - 75-87)
2nd Place = 10 karma pts. (plotty - 76-86)
3rd Place = 5 karma pts. (TIE - skillset & raelg14 - 78-84 5 karma points apiece)

Where will we finish in the A.L. Central? (4th place)
Winner(s) = 5 karma pts. (TIE - me, plotty, skillset - this counts since we're tied [at least] for fourth place in the AL Central....5 karma points apiece)

How many games out will we finish? (13.5 games)
1st Place = 7 karma pts. (dejesus9 - .5 difference)
2nd Place = 4 karma pts. (Royally Speaking - 1.5 difference)
3rd Place = 2 karma pts. (RoR1fan - 3 difference)
4th Place = 1 karma pt. (gilgameche - 3.5 difference)

Runs scored vs. runs allowed (691 runs scored; 781 runs allowed)
1st Place = 5 karma pts. (me)
2nd Place = 3 karma pts. (raelg14 - 68 pt. difference)
3rd Place = 2 karma pts. (skillset - 79 pt. difference)
4th Place = 1 karma pt. (Royally Speaking - 104 pt. difference)

Batting average (.269)
1st Place = 4 karma pts. (gilgameche - correct!)
2nd Place = 3 karma pts. (TIE: Royally Speaking - 1, dejesus9 - 1)
3rd Place = 2 karma pts. (skillset - 3)
4th Place = 1 karma pt. (me - 4)

OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) (.719)
1st Place = 4 karma pts. (dejesus9 - 6 difference)
2nd Place = 3 karma pts. (me - 15)
3rd Place = 2 karma pts. (plotty - 27)
4th Place = 1 karma pt. (Royally Speaking - 31)

Home Runs (120)
1st Place = 4 karma pts. (gilgameche - 5 difference)
2nd Place = 3 karma pts. (raelg14 - 17)
3rd Place = 2 karma pts. (me - 20)
4th Place = 1 karma pt. (plotty - 25)

ERA (4.48)
1st Place = 4 karma pts. (raelg14 - .3 difference)
2nd Place = 3 karma pts. (me - .9)
3rd Place = 2 karma pts. (skillset - .10)
4th Place = 1 karma pt. (Royally Speaking - .13)

THE RESULTS ARE IN!!! The final counts are above!!!

raelg14 - 5+3+3+4 = 15 karma points total
skillset - 5+5+2+2+2 = 16 karma points total
Royally Speaking - 1+3+1+1+4 = 10 karma points total
me - 20+5+5+1+3+2+3 = 39 karma points total
plotty - 10+5+2+1 = 18 karma points total
gilgameche - 4+4+1 = 9 karma points total
dejesus9 - 3+4+7 = 14 karma points total
RoR1fan - 2 karma points total

Check over these to make sure they're correct.

Thanks to everyone for participating in this contest!

The karma points will become official once the winner of the 9/29 game is determined (ChiSox or Tigers) -and- possibly once the one-game playoff between the ChiSox and Twins is determined, should there be a one-game playoff.